Exercising, staying in shape and training your dog all at the same time sounds almost too good to be true. But Sophia Yin, DVM, a dynamo veterinarian, behaviorist, author, and fitness devotee, has a workout series for you that includes training your dog at the same time. Her website[4] is a source of invaluable information including behavior, training tips and instructional videos.

As Sophia notes:
But when you wake up in the morning do you look at your dog and feel guilty that you’re working out instead of playing with him? Well, here’s a short and easy indoor workout routine that includes treats and training for your dog and exercise for you. It’s a set of short warm-up, balance and conditioning exercise that you can do up to 7 days a week either as a way to ease into the day or as a prelude to a more rigorous cardio workout like the outdoor workouts I show in Working Out With Your Dog: Quick Warm-Up Exercises for You and Your Dog[5].

She consulted with Hideshi Okamoto, a coach to Olympic athletes, and of the Fitness Garage[6], to develop this easy-to-follow indoor exercise—you get your warm-ups in while teaching your dog solid down-stays.

As for the equipment, you will need a chair, an exercise ball and a 2-pound dumbbell, plus small easy-to-eat treats for your dog—kibble works well too.